Apparatus for curing tire flaps or the like



April 6, 1926. 1,579,718

0. J. KUHLKE APPARATUS FOR CURING TIRE FLAPS OR THE LIKE Original Filed p i 4, 1925 Patented Apr. 6, 1926,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO J'. KUHLKE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE KUHLKE MACHINE COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR CURING TIRE FLAPS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed April 4,1925, Serial No. 20,608. Renewed February 24, 1926.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, O'r'ro J. KUIILKE,

. a citizen of the United States, and a resident improvement over the device shown in my prior application for Letters Patent Serial No. 16,697, filed March 19, 1925.

My former application above referred to showed and described a form of vulcanizing apparatus for use in the manufacture of'endless rubber tire flaps or the like, in which an outer expansible circular jacket is applied about a mold ring, about the outer circumference of which is located a substantially V-shaped groove, the side walls of which are formed by air bags. The inner circumference of the jacket is formed with a V- shaped ring adapted to enter the V-shaped groove, the flap being cured between the jacket and the air bags, the latter being subjected to internal pressure, and the jacket being formed with a central cavity adapted to be'steam heated. In my former application the bags were covered with a layer or layers of fabric to form a smooth surface.

upon the inner circumference of the flap.

My present invention is designed to improve upon the mold consti'uction shown in my former application, the fabric covering layer being dispensed with and the bags being formed in such amanner that they constitute the mold surface.

The principles of the invention herein are shown in the accompanying drawings, in

Y like, a moldand a mold plate havin a matwhic'h:

Figurel is a sectionalview through the mold in closed position; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view at the base or vertex of the groove. I

. The complete apparatus is not shown in the present invention and it will sufiice to state that the outer jacket or cover plate is indicated by the numeral 1. This ma be of any suitable form or shape, as wi be understood. The part 1 is chambered, as shown at 2, for the steam which is used to vulcanize the flaps. The inner face of the jacket is provided'i'vith the V-shaped rib 3 which forms the outer surface of the flap. The mold is indicated by the numeral 4 and is formed with a corresponding V-shaped cavity.

The side walls of the mold are formed by flexible and expansible bags 6 which lie in recesses 7 on the outer face'of themold. These bags may be of any preferred construction and may be made similarly to the bags commonly used in the curing of pneumatic tires under internal pressure, comprising a wall of rubber 8 and an outer covering of fabric 9 Vulcanized together. The bags lie in suitably shaped recesses within the mold and are separated by a central rib or web '10 which, however, terminates slightly below the flap cavity. f

It is desirablethat the upper surface of the rib 10 be covered, and for this purpose the bags are provided with projecting tips or fillets 11 which lie over the rib and meet at the median line of rib. These fillets are shown in detail in Figure 2 and are formed by rubber inserts 12 which are surrounded by fabric 13 vulcanized upon the bags. In order to obtain sharp meeting faces so as to make the crack between the fillets as small as possible, the fabric layers 13 are heavily coated with rubber, indicated at 14.

It will be understood that in the preferred form of the invention the mold and jacket are circular so that the flap is a circular fla but the present invention is not necessarilj limited to the vulcanization of circular flaps.

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made in speclfic embodiments of the invention and the claims 'are not limited to the exact form herein shown and described.

.What is claimed is: we 1. In a device for vulcanizing flap or th ing groove and rib, respectively, t e walls of the groove being formed from expan'sible bags seated Within recesses in the mold, a rib separating the recesses, and integral extensions upon the "bags overlying the rib.

2. In a device for vulcanizmg fla s or the like, a mold, a chambered mold p ate over the mold, the walls of the mold being formed with recesses, ex ansible bags lying within the recesses, a n

located centrally of the mold, and an extension integral with one of said bagsand lying over the rib.

3. In a device for vulcanizing flaps or the bags Within the recesses, a centrally located like, a mold, a mold plate over the mold, rib between the recesses, and extensions the walls of the mold being formed with reformed upon a bag and overlying the rib. cesses, expansible bags lying within the re- 5. In a device for vulcanizing flaps or the 15 6 cesses, a rib located centrally of the mold like, a mold having a recess within a wall and separating the bags, and integral exthereof, a vulcanized rubber and fabric bag tensions formed upon the bags and overlying within said recess, and an integral lying the rib. vulcanized fillet of rubber and fabric pro- 4. In a device for vulcanizing flaps or the jecting from the bag and overlying a portion 20 10 like, a mold having angularly arranged of the mold.

walls. recesses within the walls, expansible ()TTO J. KUHLKE. 

